Does anyone know of any other translations into English of these two texts from the original source text?

THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE GREAT LIBERATION or The Method of Realizing Nirvana through Knowing the Mind attributed to Guru Padmasambhava, translated by W.Y.Evans-Wentz.

and

SELF-LIBERATION THROUGH SEEING WITH NAKED AWARENESS
"The Profound Teaching of Self-Liberation in the Primordial State of the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities,"
A Terma Text of Guru Padmasambhava expounding the View of Dzogchen, and Rediscovered by Rigdzin Karma Lingpa (14th cent); Translated by John Myrdhin Reynolds,

Does anyone know of the original source that these books claimed to be translated from?

It's written that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) arrived in Tibet during the 8th century and introduced Buddhism to Tibet. It's taught that he hid a number of religious treasures (termas) to be later found and interpreted. It appears that because of this tradition there are continually new books 'found' that are published and claimed to be written by Guru Rinpoche.

There are many other such terma texts that are attributed to be his writing:
"The Tibetan Book of the Dead" (Bardo Thodol)
"The Gradual Path of the Wisdom Essence"
"The Garland of Views: An Instruction" However, I've read other Rinpoches teach that he only wrote this single text!!

Francesca Fremantle the scholar and translator wrote that:

..there is in fact no single Tibetan title corresponding to the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The overall name given to the whole terma cycle is Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones, and it is popularly known as Karma Lingpa's Peaceful and Wrathful Ones. It has been handed down through the centuries in several versions containing varying numbers of sections and subsections, arranged in different orders, ranging from around ten to thirty-eight titles. These individual texts cover a wide range of subjects,

Thank you for your reply, I am familiar with kama and terma. My point is seeking answers to my questions of the post: is anyone is aware of any other translations, and what is the original source text for these two English books?

THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE GREAT LIBERATION translated by W.Y.Evans-Wentz.

and

SELF-LIBERATION THROUGH SEEING WITH NAKED AWARENESS Translated by John Myrdhin Reynolds,

heart wrote:Yes, and what is your point? In the Nyingma school there are to streams of teachings, called kama and terma. You should read a little about that.

dimeo wrote:Thank you for your reply, I am familiar with kama and terma. My point is seeking answers to my questions of the post: is anyone is aware of any other translations, and what is the original source text for these two English books?

THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE GREAT LIBERATION translated by W.Y.Evans-Wentz.

and

SELF-LIBERATION THROUGH SEEING WITH NAKED AWARENESS Translated by John Myrdhin Reynolds,

The Tibetan Book of the Dead, or Kar-gling zhi-khro, discovered by Karma Lingpa in Southern Tibet in the 14th century, was one of the most important cycle of texts to come out of the Dzogchen tradition of Tibet established in ancient times by Guru Padmasambhava among both the Nyingmapa Buddhists and the Bonpos. "Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness" (Rig-pa ngo-sprod gcer-mthong rang-grol) is the central meditation text of this famous Tibetan Book of the Dead cycle and is said to have been composed by Padmasambhava himself. It is usually known in the West as The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation, the title given to it by W.Y. Evans-Wentz (1954). This profound text presents the instructions for the method of Self-Liberation (rang-grol) that represent the very essence of Dzogchen, "the Great Perfection," which is traditionally regarded in Tibet as the highest and most esoteric teaching of the Buddha. Directly introducing the practitioner of meditation to the Natural State of the Nature of Mind (sems-nyid gnas-lugs), which is the contemplative state of pure awareness or Rigpa lying beyond the mind and its mundane operations that constitute Samsara, this quintessential teaching of the great master Guru Padmasambhava opens up the possibility to the individual of the realization of freedom and enlightenment within a single life time.

There's another translation of this text in Gyurme Dorje's recent version of the complete 'Great Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States'

Edwards: You are a philosopher. Dr Johnson: I have tried too in my time to be a philosopher; but, I don't know how, cheerfulness was always breaking in.

dimeo wrote:Thank you for your reply, I am familiar with kama and terma. My point is seeking answers to my questions of the post: is anyone is aware of any other translations, and what is the original source text for these two English books?

THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE GREAT LIBERATION translated by W.Y.Evans-Wentz.

and

SELF-LIBERATION THROUGH SEEING WITH NAKED AWARENESS Translated by John Myrdhin Reynolds,

heart wrote:Yes, and what is your point? In the Nyingma school there are to streams of teachings, called kama and terma. You should read a little about that.

/magnus

"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)

The source is indeed KarLing Shitro, which is a terma revealed by Karma Lingpa, and which contains many practices, texts, instructions, etc. These translations are only a part of the whole thing. Gyaltrul Rinpoche's "Natural Liberation" is a commentary given based on the root texts, and it's been linked to here, as well.

In a sense, wouldn't we say that most of (all of?) the Terma Sadhanas, Instructions, Men Ngak, etc., discovered in Tibet were "written by Guru Rinpoche?" Sure, many will say they were based on original Indian or other texts....but if one looks, for example, at Jomgon Kongtrul's writings, a large perecentage of his "collected works" are sadhanas and "tri" manuals based on earlier sadhanas, tantras, Men Ngak (Pith Instructions).....

"Absolute Truth is not an object of analytical discourse or great discriminating wisdom,
It is realized through the blessing grace of the Guru and fortunate Karmic potential.
Like this, mistaken ideas of discriminating wisdom are clarified."
- (Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, from his summary of "The Ocean of Definitive Meaning")

conebeckham wrote:The source is indeed KarLing Shitro, which is a terma revealed by Karma Lingpa, and which contains many practices, texts, instructions, etc. These translations are only a part of the whole thing. Gyaltrul Rinpoche's "Natural Liberation" is a commentary given based on the root texts, and it's been linked to here, as well.

In a sense, wouldn't we say that most of (all of?) the Terma Sadhanas, Instructions, Men Ngak, etc., discovered in Tibet were "written by Guru Rinpoche?" Sure, many will say they were based on original Indian or other texts....but if one looks, for example, at Jomgon Kongtrul's writings, a large perecentage of his "collected works" are sadhanas and "tri" manuals based on earlier sadhanas, tantras, Men Ngak (Pith Instructions).....

Sometimes they were composed by someone else but were learned and taught by Padmasambhava (such as the Drikungpa Phowa). Regardless I believe all Terma have Padamsambhava as the origin in some way.

Equanimity is the ground. Love is the moisture. Compassion is the seed. Bodhicitta is the result.

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

When we're talking about a "Cycle," normally it's a bunch of discrete texts that are related in some way, and are usually revealed together, by on Terton.

So, for example, when we're talking about the KarLing Shitro cycle, the best known text is the "Bardo Thodol," or "Tibetan Book of the Dead," which is specifically a manual to be read to a dying person.

There is also an empowerment text.

There are also sadhana texts, including a Mandala practice where one visualizes oneself as the mandala of the peaceful and wrathful deities. And there are texts that provide instruction in the completion stage yogas. There are texts specifically for offering to the protectors, etc.

Another example of a cycle would be Sangye Lingpa's "Lama Gongdu," which has thirteen volumes, contains a number of sadhanas, rituals, and explanatory texts for the stages of creation and completion, from Ngondro, all the way to Ati practices, Trekcho, Togal, etc.

"Absolute Truth is not an object of analytical discourse or great discriminating wisdom,
It is realized through the blessing grace of the Guru and fortunate Karmic potential.
Like this, mistaken ideas of discriminating wisdom are clarified."
- (Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, from his summary of "The Ocean of Definitive Meaning")